Frequently Asked Questions on Sustainability
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Sustainability. At a time when ever more people and companies are taking steps to fight climate change, this is a term we hear again and again.
But what exactly is “sustainability?” What does it mean for a business to be sustainable? What are the benefits and drawbacks of a sustainable operation? And what role can compressors play in a green production?
Below, you will find the answers to these and other questions.
What is sustainability?
To get the literal meaning of the word, you just have break it up into its two parts – “sustain” and “ability.” It simply means being able to sustain something for a long time.
Nowadays, sustainability is most often used in connection with the environment. Here it refers to the ability to live (or do business) in a way that does little or no harm to the environment. If that is possible, then the respective activity can go on indefinitely.
What makes a process or a business sustainable?
A process or business that does not deplete resources is sustainable. That not only means materials but also energy or water. It is important to note that this does not mean that a process or a business cannot use materials at all. However, to be sustainable, the required resources should be offset somehow. For example, this may happen through the use of renewable energy, the recovery of heat, or the recycling of materials.
What is the cost of sustainability?
A common misperception is that a green production is automatically expensive. On its face, that doesn’t make sense because sustainability, in large part, is about preserving resources and reducing waste.
It is true that one major component of a sustainable production is the use of energy-efficient equipment. This may require an initial investment and a lot of state-of-the-art machines are not cheap.
However, it is very important to not only look at what they cost but also how much they save. In many cases, this equipment will preserve so much energy that the initial investment is very quickly recouped. And, obviously, the higher energy prices are, the faster the investment pays off.
Finally, greater sustainability also offers additional benefits – some of which cannot be measured in euros or dollars.
These include a reduced carbon footprint, answering the demand of customers for green products, as well as meeting current and future government mandates.
Why is sustainability especially important for compressing air?
One might think that compressed air would be very sustainable. After all, the ambient air that is needed is abundant and free.
However, for all of its benefits, compressing air has one major drawback: It takes a lot of energy. In fact, it is estimated that 10% of the world’s energy is used for compressing air. That not only illustrates how vital compressed air is but also how important sustainability and efficiency are in this area.
Fortunately, compressors have come a long way. While the fixed-speed models of the past used tremendous amounts of energy, modern compressors with variable speed drives can cut that consumption in half (or even more).
Does the switch to a greener, more sustainable production always require major investments?
No. As noted above, investments in greener technology are just one component of a successful sustainability strategy. There are plenty of other things any person or business can take to reduce their energy consumption.
For example, let’s go back to compressed air. Did you know that, on average, 20% of all compressed air is wasted because it escapes through leaks in the air system?
Identifying and plugging these leaks is not expensive. In fact, you can do a leak detection test using only some soapy water. The potential savings, on the other hand, can be massive.
So there are many things, big and small, a business can take to become less wasteful and more sustainable.
How does sustainability factor into Industry 4.0 and a more connected, smarter production?
In many cases, smart technology is green technology. That is because a lot of it is specifically designed with sustainability in mind – both on the hardware and the software side.
Here, too, compressed air technology is offering us a perfect example. A connected compressor can now be monitored and, in some cases, controlled from afar. At the same time, it collects lots of data that can be used to optimize its performance.
All of this can help to greatly reduce the energy a compressor consumes.
Is it possible to stay competitive in the medium and long-term without running a sustainable operation?
No. Businesses who do not transition to a sustainable operation, at some point will not be able to meet regulatory, industry and customer standards anymore.
Do you want to know more about sustainable production? At Atlas Copco we offer many services, tips and tricks that you can benefit from to make your compressed air production greener and more sustainable.
